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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26964394">Primal Rage</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etagirl/pseuds/Etagirl'>Etagirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wolverine and the X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Animal Instincts, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Wolverine - Freeform, berserker rage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:02:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26964394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etagirl/pseuds/Etagirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"He was shivering, trembling, not with fear but with excitement. His teeth chattered. A sick, twisted smirk forced its way onto Wolverine’s face."</p>
<p>One day Wolverine finds himself feeling more irritable and on edge than usual. He feels like an animal in a cage, battering at the bars to get out. He longs to cut loose and stop holding back, but he also knows how disastrous it would be if he didn't keep his instincts in check. However when a chance encounter with a long-term enemy of Logan's sets off his berserker rage, will Wolverine be able to tell friend from foe? Or will he kill the very people he cares about, the family he has made at Xavier Institute? Read and find out!</p>
<p>Cross-posted on Fanfiction.net!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Primal Rage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wolverine sniffed the air. He could smell a family of deer not far from where he stood. He followed the scene through the dark wood until it opened up unto a clearing. Peering from behind the bushes, Wolverine spotted his prey. A little brown doe stood grazing in an idyllic meadow that stretched out for miles. He did not stop to think how strange it was that this huge meadow should be situated in this tiny forest. All he could think about was sinking his claws into the doe’s tender flesh. He waited for a moment, then when he was certain the deer’s guard was down he sprung out. It was a quick and clean kill. He did not stop to wonder why he was nearly naked save for a pair of ripped shorts nor why he was covered in dirt. He tore into the deer with his teeth, greedily devouring the slain animal. That was when Logan woke up.</p>
<p><br/>He groaned and sat up, for a moment forgetting where he was. It didn’t take long for him to recall that he was in his room at the Xavier Institute.<br/>“What a weird dream…” Wolverine muttered, then gasped as he looked at his hands.</p>
<p><br/>His claws were protruding through his knuckles and his bedsheets were torn. His pillow had been flung halfway across the room and he’d accidentally knocked over his bedside table lamp in his sleep. Wolverine retracted his claws and sighed. It’d been awhile since he’d accidentally let out his claws in his sleep or destroyed his own bedroom. He’d thought he’d gotten that part of himself under control, but he guessed not. Logan’s stomach growled, and he got up to get dressed. He’d clean up the mess he made later, right now he was too hungry to do anything else.</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine walked wordlessly into the kitchen and started making himself some breakfast. Six other X-Men were already there eating breakfast: Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Storm, Kitty, and Rogue. Whether it was due to hunger or a bad night’s sleep, he did not know but Logan found himself feeling oddly irritable. He prayed no one would get on his bad side today.<br/>Just as he thought this though, who but Nightcrawler teleported into the kitchen. Kurt wasn’t a bad kid, in fact Wolverine quite liked him, but he also had a knack for annoying others and enjoyed occasionally teasing the old canucklehead.</p>
<p><br/>“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in?” Kurt laughed, taking an apple from the fruit bowl.</p>
<p><br/>Logan sighed, “Not today, Kurt. I’m not in the mood.”</p>
<p><br/>“Ooh, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” he chuckled again.</p>
<p><br/>“I mean it kid, cut it out!” Wolverine snapped reflexively extending his claws.</p>
<p><br/>“Yipes! Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Nightcrawler teleported to his seat at the kitchen table.</p>
<p><br/>“Did something happen, Wolverine?” Jean asked. “You can always talk to us if something’s bothering you, you know.”</p>
<p><br/>Ah yes, Jean. There was something about her voice that instantly calmed Wolverine. When she stared at him with those pretty green eyes of hers Logan could not help but do whatever it was she asked. He was like putty in her hands, and he knew it.</p>
<p><br/>“No, just… sorry. I just didn’t really sleep that well last night.”</p>
<p><br/>But that was a lie. While it’s true that his sleep had been somewhat restless, the dream Wolverine had of hunting that deer was one of the best he’d had in awhile. Of course he’d never admit this.</p>
<p><br/>“I see, I’m sorry to hear that.”</p>
<p><br/>“Yeah, well… I think it’s probably best if everybody keeps their distance today,” Wolverine warned.</p>
<p><br/>Cyclops scoffed and buried his head in his newspaper, a little bit jealous of the attention Wolverine was receiving.</p>
<p><br/>“I’m gonna head to the Danger Room for a little while,” Wolverine finished his meal.</p>
<p><br/>Beast sipped his coffee, “If that’s what you want. Feel free to let us know if you need anything then, Logan.”</p>
<p><br/>After Logan had left the room, the rest of the X-Men got to talking amongst themselves.</p>
<p><br/>“He’s in a foul mood today,” Cyclops muttered.</p>
<p><br/>“Indeed…” Beast said thoughtfully. “He said it’s because he didn’t sleep well last night, but I get the feeling there is more to it than that.”</p>
<p><br/>“I hope everything’s okay,” Jean added.</p>
<p><br/>Kurt decided to join in, “Pfft, come on, he’s fine! He’s the Wolverine!”</p>
<p><br/>“Yes,” Storm finally jumped in as well, “But that doesn’t mean he isn’t prone to bad days like the rest of us. And even if he is nigh physically invulnerable, that doesn’t mean he’s emotionally invulnerable.”</p>
<p><br/>“It’s a little scary,” Kitty said, looking up from her laptop. “It almost feels like he’s a walking time-bomb. Did you feel the tension in the air when he snapped at Nightcrawler?”</p>
<p><br/>“Yeah,” Rogue shook her head. “Feels like a storm’s brewing… And Logan is one angry rain cloud.”</p>
<p><br/>“Well don’t look at me, my powers only allow me to control natural storms, not mutant ones,” Storm joked.</p>
<p><br/>The X-Men all laughed.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Computer, initiate Wolverine training X-31,” Wolverine called as he entered the training room.</p>
<p><br/>“Initiating.”</p>
<p><br/>Logan took a deep breath. He could feel his heart pounding, the adrenaline shooting through his veins as the simulation began. The anticipation was killing him. Left, right, left, left, left. Wolverine dodged the laser beams and buzzsaws with ease. He growled and cut the wires of one of the ray guns with his claws and leapt on top of another. Straining, he turned the gun towards another and the two guns destroyed each other with laser blasts as Wolverine jumped out of the way. Landing on all fours, he then stood up and ran towards yet another ray gun. The whole thing was over in minutes, with ray guns and bits of shrapnel laying strewn throughout the Danger Room by the time Logan was done. Wolverine stood in the middle of it all, breathing heavily, claws still extended. It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. More destruction, more carnage.</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine lamented that the ray guns weren’t real flesh and blood opponents. The simulation was too predictable, too… sterile. He longed for the thrill of real battle, of real enemies. He longed to completely cut loose and sate his bloodlust. Wolverine yelled and kicked a wall in frustration. It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. What the hell was wrong with him? What was happening to him? He hadn’t felt this way in a long time and it frightened Wolverine. Was he losing control again? Was he losing himself? Logan decided to go see Professor X. Perhaps he could help. Maybe he’d have an idea as to what was going on.</p>
<p><br/>“Charles?” Logan pounded on the professor’s study door a few minutes later. “Chuck? I’m coming in!”</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine entered the study to find Xavier sitting at his desk, chair turned to face the window.</p>
<p><br/>“Yes Logan? What seems to be the matter?” the professor could tell right away something was wrong. He could sense Wolverine’s mounting rage.</p>
<p><br/>“I- I… don’t know,” the gruff X-Men sat down on Charles’ couch. “I just feel… antsy.”</p>
<p><br/>“Any particular reason?” Professor X asked.</p>
<p><br/>“No, none that I can think of. It’s just… I don’t know. I feel like a caged animal. Like there’s something boiling up inside of me, something I can’t control, and it scares me.”</p>
<p><br/>Logan averted his gaze, feeling more than a little awkward and embarrassed. He was being uncharacteristically honest about his feelings and it was a strange, uncomfortable sensation for Wolverine. He was so used to being guarded that he wasn’t sure what to do with himself when he finally let his guard down.</p>
<p><br/>Xavier searched Wolverine’s eyes for answers. He tried not to probe too deeply into the minds of his X-Men or students, because he valued their privacy too greatly. He especially understood that Wolverine hated having his mind probed, so he was extra vigilant not to do it to him. Even so, there were times where Xavier felt that it was necessary to peek into the minds of those around him and sometimes he couldn’t help it. This was one of those times.<br/>Charles searched the surface of Wolverine’s mind to see what he was feeling, what had happened to him earlier that day and the week prior. Nothing all that unusual, except for today, beginning with a strange dream he had had about hunting deer. Xavier sensed that Wolverine felt confused and lost, but also angry and frustrated and a little bit afraid.</p>
<p><br/>“Hmmm…” Xavier hummed, thinking. “Indeed, it is quite curious. Is there anything that has been on your mind lately that might’ve caused this aggravation? Has anything happened to you recently?”</p>
<p><br/>Of course Charles already knew the answer.</p>
<p><br/>“Not that I can think of…” Wolverine sighed. “Like I said I just feel… on edge. Like a wolf in the zoo, stalking the bars of its cage. I feel like a keg of gunpowder ready to explode.”</p>
<p><br/>“I see. Well, until we can get to the bottom of this, just try to relax. Stay close to me when we go on our mission today.”</p>
<p><br/>“We have a mission today?” Wolverine looked up.</p>
<p><br/>“Yes. I just got word from a mutual acquaintance that Sabretooth has broken loose from prison and is terrorizing a nearby city.”</p>
<p><br/>“Sabretooth?!” Wolverine growled, extending his claws. “Well then what are we waiting for? Let’s go put that slimeball back in jail!”</p>
<p><br/>“Easy Wolverine,” Xavier chided. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let’s go round up the others and make sure we’re properly prepared.”</p>
<p><br/>“Grrr, fine! But hurry up!” he retracted his claws, grumbling as he followed the professor to the air docks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A few minutes later, all the X-Men going on this mission were rounded up. They were Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Beast, Cyclops, Jean, Rogue, and Kitty. Storm chose to sit this one out, choosing instead to keep watch over the manor and continue training the academy’s students.<br/>The group piled into the X-Wing and took off. Everybody save Professor X (who was piloting the plane) and Wolverine strapped themselves into their seats. Wolverine couldn’t stand the thought of being strapped down and was much too excited at the prospect of a real fight to properly sit. Instead he paced the length of the plane, repeatedly extending and retracting his claws impatiently.<br/>“What’s got him in such a bad mood?” Kitty commented.<br/>“Shh! Who knows, but do you really wanna rile him up even more?” Cyclops hissed.<br/>“I can hear ya, ya know!” Wolverine growled. “Don’t talk ‘bout me like I ain’t here!”<br/>“Yeesh, touchy!” Kitty muttered.<br/>Wolverine snarled and turned away. No, now was not the time to get all riled up. He should save his energy for the fight. Dammit, couldn’t this plane go any faster?!</p>
<hr/>
<p>Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore and would jump out of the plane, Logan and co arrived at the place where Sabretooth had been spotted last. Wolverine hopped out of the plane, extending his claws and sniffing aggressively.</p>
<p><br/>“Alright Creed, where are ya?!”</p>
<p><br/>“Wolverine, wait!” Cyclops yelled. “Don’t go looking for a fight right away, let’s just take it slow, one step at a time.”</p>
<p><br/>“Shut up, Shades! I gotta bone to pick with that furball and I don’t need you getting in the way!”</p>
<p><br/>Logan ran forward, disappearing into the smoke and debris of the destroyed city.</p>
<p><br/>“Wolverine!” Cyclops pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “One of these days that hothead is going to get himself into a mess he won’t be able to get out of by himself!”</p>
<p><br/>Jean giggled and put a hand on Cyclops’ shoulder, comforting him. Meanwhile Logan stopped in the middle of an empty street and sniffed the air. Sabretooth was close. Very close.</p>
<p><br/>“What’s the matter, runt? Can’t wait to get your butt kicked?” Sabretooth sprung out of the smoke, kicking Wolverine square in the chest.</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine tumbled backwards, then bounced back up, “Creed, just the man I was looking for!”</p>
<p><br/>He let out a roar and charged the six foot tall mutant, swiping at him with his adamantium claws. Sabretooth batted him out of the way, striking Wolverine with his own claws. The swipe left a deep gash on Logan’s chest, but he hardly felt it. If anything, the pain seemed to fuel his bloodlust even more.</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine charged Sabretooth like an angry bull. He felt his heart pumping at what seemed like a hundred miles per hour, sweat flooding every pore. He was shivering, trembling, not with fear but with excitement. His teeth chattered. A sick, twisted smirk forced its way onto Wolverine’s face. His pupils dilated. This was the battle high he had been yearning for. Rage and euphoria and lightheadedness flooded Wolverine’s system in equal parts. What was happening to him? Was he losing control of himself? Right now Wolverine didn’t care.</p>
<p><br/>He continued hacking and slashing at Sabretooth, completely ignoring the pain he felt whenever Sabretooth cut him back. The smell of blood only incensed him even more. Both parties howled and rolled and slashed at each other’s bodies and necks. The fight devolved from a duel between two men to a battle between two beasts. They kicked and bit and roared. Everything happened so quickly, there was no time to think.</p>
<p><br/>“Wolverine!” Wolverine heard his name from far away.</p>
<p><br/>It was Professor X and the rest of the X-Men, they’d finally caught up with him. Sabretooth pinned Wolverine to the ground, leaning heavily on his neck. Scott fired an optic blast at the cat-like mutant, sending him sprawling to the ground.</p>
<p><br/>“No!” Wolverine growled. “Stay out of this! He’s mine!”</p>
<p><br/>He was practically foaming at the mouth now. Logan tackled Creed once more. Sabretooth was unconscious now, and utterly at Wolverine’s mercy. Wolverine stabbed him again with his claws, over and over, snarling the whole time.</p>
<p><br/>“Wolverine, that’s enough!” Professor X yelled. “He’s out cold! Stop it!”</p>
<p><br/>But he couldn’t stop. Whether it was because he didn’t want to or because he physically couldn't, Logan couldn’t tell. But he couldn’t stop. Xavier’s voice was like a fly buzzing in his ears, it barely registered at all.</p>
<p><br/>“Logan!” Charles yelled again. “Beast, restrain him!”</p>
<p><br/>“On it!” McCoy leapt into the frey.</p>
<p><br/>The good doctor hooked Wolverine by the arms, putting him into a full nelson lockhold. Wolverine struggled.</p>
<p><br/>“Let go!” he roared.</p>
<p><br/>“Logan, please, listen to reason! You must calm down!”</p>
<p><br/>“N- noooo!” Wolverine broke free of Beast, then turned towards him with his claws extended.</p>
<p><br/>What was he doing? Wolverine awoke a bit from his trance-like fury. Why couldn’t he stop? Wolverine pleaded with his body to stop but it wouldn’t. He felt so dizzy. Somebody, make it stop! He didn’t want to hurt Beast! He did want to hurt Beast! Logan growled and lunged at McCoy.</p>
<p><br/>“Logan, what are you doing?!” Beast cried, leaping out of the way. “Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, McCoy!”</p>
<p><br/>“Oh no…” Xavier went pale. “He’s caught in another one of his berserker rages. He can’t tell friend from foe!”</p>
<p><br/>“What?!” Kitty yelled, just barely phasing through a trash can that Wolverine had thrown at her.</p>
<p><br/>Now he was attacking all of the X-Men.</p>
<p><br/>“Logan, stop!” Charles sent a message to him telepathically. “We need you to please stop!”</p>
<p><br/>No good. Wolverine just howled and threw another trash can. Hot. It was so unbearably hot. Sweat poured down Logan’s face as he fought with himself to stop.</p>
<p><br/>“Heheheh,” Sabretooth chuckled, having regained consciousness.</p>
<p><br/>“You!” Rogue said angrily, grabbing Sabretooth by the collar. “What’s so funny? What did you do to Wolverine?!”</p>
<p><br/>“Oh nothin’... ‘cept, maybe, give his natural blood rage a bit of a boost with this!”</p>
<p><br/>Creed held up a small syringe he had concealed in his hand. The syringe was empty.</p>
<p><br/>“Huh!” Rogue gasped, dropping Sabretooth. “Professor, we have a problem! Sabretooth injected Wolverine with something and it’s making him go berserk!”</p>
<p><br/>“So that’s why!” Charles braced himself as a stop sign came flying at him from Wolverine.</p>
<p><br/>Fortunately, Jean intercepted it in time.</p>
<p><br/>“Somebody’s gotta go calm him down!” she yelled.</p>
<p><br/>“I’ve tried to reach him, nothing’s working!” Xavier yelled back.</p>
<p><br/>“Let me try then!”</p>
<p><br/>Jean levitated towards Wolverine.</p>
<p><br/>“No Jean, stay back!” Cyclops warned.</p>
<p><br/>“It’s fine, Scott, I’ve got this!”</p>
<p><br/>“N- no!” Wolverine growled, recognizing Jean. “D- don’t! Stay away! I can’t… control… myself!”</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine gripped his head and howled, fighting desperately with himself not to hurt Jean.</p>
<p><br/>“Yes, you can! Come on Logan, you can fight it!”</p>
<p><br/>“N- noooo!” he slashed at her, Jean barely jumped out of the way in time. “I… can’t…”</p>
<p><br/>Jean took a deep breath, steeling herself and inched closer to Wolverine. She placed a hand on his face and gently caressed it.</p>
<p><br/>“Yes, you can…” she lowered her voice to that familiar, soothing tone that she often used when trying to calm Scott or Logan.</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine looked into her eyes, her beautiful green eyes, and he felt his heart rate decrease. Still shaking, with much effort he managed to retract his claws.</p>
<p><br/>“That’s it, there you go,” Jean continued to caress his cheek. “Relax, the fight is over. You’re alright. Everything is okay.”</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine groaned and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He continued taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. His heartbeat started to slow, and he wasn’t trembling as much. When at last Logan felt he had regained control, he let out a sigh of relief and dropped to his knees.</p>
<p><br/>“No!” Sabretooth cried out.</p>
<p><br/>“Alright, spill it,” Rogue approached Creed menacingly. “Who are you working for? We all know you’re too dumb to come up with a plan like this on your own! Who put you up to this? Who gave you that berserk serum?”</p>
<p><br/>“Tch, like I’ll ever tell!” Sabretooth spat.</p>
<p><br/>“What did you say?” Rogue raised a fist.</p>
<p><br/>“Easy there, Rogue,” Scott put a hand on her shoulder. “If he won’t talk now then I’m sure some time in solitary confinement will loosen those lips of his.”</p>
<p><br/>Rogue sighed and lowered her fist.</p>
<p><br/>Meanwhile Wolverine tried to stand but found himself too weak to do so. The fight he’d had with Sabretooth, his wounds, the berserker rage, and his subsequent inner struggle to control himself was too much for him. His legs shook from exertion. Wolverine stood up for just a brief moment before collapsing to his knees again.</p>
<p><br/>“Take it easy,” Jean said, stroking his face one final time before pulling her hand back. “You probably expended too much energy and you’re hurt.”</p>
<p><br/>Wolverine sighed. He hated feeling so pathetic, but there was little he could do about it. He was exhausted. All he wanted to do was curl up somewhere and sleep. After the X-Men finished securing Sabretooth, Beast and Scott helped Wolverine back into the X-Wing. This time Logan didn’t resist when he was instructed to sit down so they could strap him in. He found himself dozing, fading in and out of consciousness as they flew back to the mansion.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The rest was a blur. Logan couldn’t remember much, just hands helping him to the infirmary. He did argue at first, wanting instead to go to his room but he was still too tired to truly put up a fight. In the infirmary Logan remembered being ordered to change into a tee-shirt and some slacks, and being forced to lie down in one of the hospital beds. Now it was just him, Professor X, and McCoy. The rest of the X-Men were dismissed. Beast examined Logan but couldn’t really find anything wrong with him besides his wounds (which his healing factor should take care of) and some trace residual amounts of whatever chemical Sabretooth injected him with. McCoy took a blood sample from him and then took it to the lab for testing, but not before patching Wolverine up and telling him to get some rest. He didn’t have to tell him twice, Logan could already feel his eyelids growing heavy and was finding it difficult to resist the siren call of sleep. Charles wanted to talk to him about what’d just happened but he also knew it’d probably be best to wait until Wolverine was fully rested. It was only afternoon but Wolverine didn’t care, he was just too tired.</p>
<p><br/>“Goodnight, Logan,” Xavier smiled, turning off the lights.</p>
<p><br/>“Goodnight, professor,” Wolverine mumbled back.</p>
<p><br/>With everyone finally gone, Logan closed his eyes fully and embraced sleep.</p>
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